Season for Caring: Where are they now? Gordon Meeler

CG&S Design Build and its partners turned a bedroom in Gordon Meeler’s home into a wheelchair accessible bathroom. The 74-year-old Marine was part of Season for Caring in 2015. Before Season for Caring, he lived in his living room and used plastic buckets for his bathroom. Tre Dunham Fine Focus Photography

Last Thanksgiving Gordon Meeler was confined to his living room. The Marine, who served in Vietnam, is partially paralyzed and his wheelchair could not fit through the hallways of his South Austin home.

Meeler slept in his living room, and unable to access the bathroom, he used tall plastic buckets instead. His kitchen was also inaccessible to him.

Then Meeler was nominated by Family Eldercare to the Austin American-Statesman’s Season for Caring program. On Nov. 29, 2015, Meeler’s story touched many readers. Contractors and remodelers called up that day ready to help.

“They did a good job,” says Meeler, 74. “The kitchen’s perfect. I can actually use it … I can see better in there, and I can get around and reach everything better.”

Season for Caring is the Statesman’s holiday charity program, but the donations help families throughout the year. Each year, local nonprofit agencies nominate families to the program. The 12 selected families get their needs met first, but then the agencies use extra money to help other families with basic needs such as rent, utilities, groceries, medical bills and transportation.